Decanting apparatus.



\ M. R. LAMB.

DEGANTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1910 1,007,954. Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

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MARK R. LAMB, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CHALMERS COMPANY, OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION NEW JERSEY.

DECAN TING APPARATUS.

r Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, MARK R. LAMB, a cit-i-j zen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Decanting Apparatus, of which the followingis a speci fication.

' This invention relates to improvements in the construction of slime or pulp thickening or decanting apparatus particularly adapted to be used in the wet treatment of ores by the cyanid process.

The object of the invention is to provide a decanting apparatus which is simple in its construction, positive and etlicient in itsoperation, and from which the treated slime or pulp is continually 'and'e-fliciently removed. A feature of the invention is the use of a flat bottomed vessel or tank, it being particularly desirable in the construction of slime' thickening tanks to avoidthe use of conical or hopper shaped bottoms on account of the difficulties of manufacturing same.

Another feature of the invention is the adaptability for spontaneous collection of settled slime A clear conception of oneembodiment of the invention can be obtained by referring to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the same or different views.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a decanting apparatus, showing also fragments of the slime or pulp inlet and discharge spouts. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1'.

The vessel or tank 15, which-is usually of very large diameter and of a heightnot over one half of said diameter, supported upon a suitable frame 21. The tank 15 is constructed with a flat bottom and has a discharge launder 3 formed around its upper portion. The launder 3 has a discharge spout 7 at one side thereof, toward which spout the bottom of'the launder is downwardly inclined. The slime inlet chute '1 is directed toward the center of the tank 15 and may be located at any convenient position relative to the tank. The driving shaft 91 is mounted in athrust bearing 22 concentrn cally with the tank 15 and carries a worm 'wheel 19 near its lower portion. The worm 20, winch is mounted upon the frame 21, queshes with the worm wheel 19 and is adapted to be rotated by any suitable power not shown.- keyed or otherwise fastened to the upper end Patented Nov. 7, 1911.-

The arm supporting frame 17 is I of the shaft 91, and has a downwardly project-ing cylindrical portion which extends into an annular recess formed in the packing cup 18. The cup 18 is bored to permit the passage of the shaft 91 therethrough and is fastened to the bottom of the tank 15, The recess formed in the cup 18, into which the lower projection of the frame 17 extends, is

normally filled with mercury or similar' packing material.

The upper end ofthe frame 17 coact's against the outer surface of the slime dis charge pipe 6. Passages 16 are formed through the wall of the frame 17 below the end of the pipe 6 and on a level with the bottom of the tank 15.

The scraper or stirrer arms'12 each carrying a series of plates 14,are pivoted to the frame17. The plates +14 will be at an 01)- lique angle to the arms if used as scrapers, and may be omitted entirely or be at right angles or parallel to the arms ifused as stirrers. Rodsll which are pivoted to the arms 12 at points intermediate their ends, have their upper ends pivotally connected to the ring 10. A tube 8, which is fastened to the upper end of the frame 17 and surrounds the downwardly projecting portion. of the r i e 6 coacts a ainst the'inner surface of the ring 10. The collar 9 which is fastened to the tube 8 by means of an ordinary set screw, limits the downward travel of the collar 10 along the tube 8.

The upper end of the pipe 1 is connected to the. inlet of a diaphragm pump 4. The

pump 4 which may besofanyof the. well known types of diaphragm pump having a variable stroke, is driven by means of any suitable power applied through a pulley 5,

and has its discharge directed into a discharge chute 2. The pump 4 may, however,

be replaced by other suction producing means, such as a siphon, having its inlet connected with and directed toward the passages 16.

During the o'perationof the device, the

slime or pulp to be thickened is admitted to the tank 15' through the inlet chute 1, the heavy particles thereof passing directly to the bottom of the tank. The arms 12 are caused to revolve slowly by means of the power applied to the shaft 91 throughthe worm wheel 19 and worm 20 thereby conveying the heavy particles from the periph ery of the tank toward the passages 16 clear liquid of the original material is gradually left at the top ofthe tank, being eventually discharged to the launder 3 and from there through the discharge spout 7 to any stirring suitable sourceb The thickened material ;upon reaching the passages 16, either by I being scraped thence-or dislodged for sponl5 taneous collection at that point, is drawn by the continualsuction of the pump 4 through pipe 6 and is discharged from the pump to the discharge chute 2. t i a f The arms 12 can be swung in the manner of the swinging of the ribs of an umbrella, about the pivots connecting them with the frame 17 by raising the collar 10 in order to gradually lower the arms into position on starting. With this arrangement it is possible to operate the device with a varying thickness of the layer of material at the bottom ofthe tank 15. If the stirring arms. are used they will be arranged at an angle which would facilitate spontaneous collection of the settling slimes by gravity, the

arms serving only to dislodge settling slimes for such collection.

The use of a tank 15 having a flat bottom,

- greatly reduces the cost-and laborrequired in the manufacture thereof, over that of the conical or hopper bottomed tanks heretofore used. When stirring arms are used the flat bottom-tank is still applicable as the settled slimes can build up to the proper angle for spontaneous collection at the center of the bottom. The use of mercury for packing the joint between the shaft91 and the packing cup 18 gives a simple and efiicient'means for preventing the undesirable escape of liquid from the interior ofthetank 15,

Letters Patent,

1. In a decanting apparatus, a tank having a flat, liquid sealed bottom said bottom presenting in its entirety a fiat level surface within said tank, means for admitting to said tank material to be treated, means for withdrawing decanting liquid, and means including a pump for upwardly removing thickened material from within said tank and at the center of its fiat bot-tom.

2. In a decanting apparatus, a tank having a flat bottom said bottom presenting in its entirety a flat level surface within said tank, means for admitting to said tank material to-be treated, means for withdrawing decanting liquid, and means for removing thickened material .over the side walls of said tank from and. at the center .of its fiat bot-tom. V

3. In a decanting apparatus, a tank, a

packing cup in the center of the tank, a shaft passing through said cup, a frame fitting said cup and coacting with the bottom of said tank to provide in its entirety a flat level surface within said tank, a pipe coacting with said frame for removing thickened material from' and at the center of the bot-tom of said tank, stirring means at- ;tached to said frame for dislodging settling slimes for spontaneous collection thereof, by

gravity at the place of removal, and means for rotating said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the, presence oftwo witnesses.

MAR-K R. LAMlB.

Witnesses? 1 CHAS. L. BYRON, W. H. LIEBER. 

